Hike the Himalayas in Nepal

When can I go?

3 November - 12 November 2023	On Sale
Duration	10 days

3 November - 12 November 2023

On Sale

Duration

10 days

What does it cost?

Hike the Himalayas in Nepal

Trek through the mesmerising Himalayas and immerse yourself in the local culture of Nepal on one of our all-time favourite treks in 2022 and 2023.

Starting outside the serene city of Pokhara, we’ll follow rivers in mountain valleys and climb through forests bright with rhododendrons. The panoramas of lush vegetation and snow-capped peaks are more than worth the challenging ascents!

We'll reach the highest point of our trek, Poon Hill (3,210m), by torchlight for an unforgettable experience watching the sun rise over the surrounding peaks.

Staying in local guest houses by night and guided by our fantastic trekking leader, who grew up in the Himalayas, this challenge will give you incredible insight into the Nepalese culture.

We’ll pass through communities, chat with villagers and finish with a free day to explore Kathmandu − the perfect end after an epic climb!

The best part about this trek is that it’s all in aid of the charity of your choice!

Want more insight into our trek?

Read our interview with our local mountain guide here and learn what you can expect from the challenge.

Your itinerary

Days 1 & 2
UK - Kathmandu

We meet as a group for the first time at the airport in London and catch an overnight flight to Kathmandu, the capital of Nepal.

Here, our local mountain guide, Dawa, greets us upon arrival and we transfer to our hotel in the city.

Once checked in and settled, Dawa gives us a challenge briefing and more insight into what lies ahead. We finish our day with a welcome dinner and taste the delicious Nepali cuisine at one of Kathmandu’s restaurants.

Day 3
Kathmandu - Pokhara | approx. 7 hours transfer

Today we wake up early in the morning to transfer (approx. 7 hours) from Kathmandu to Pokhara, Nepal’s stunning hub of tourism. After we leave Kathmandu city we will drive through many small villages following the Trisuli River for the first half and we stop en route for lunch.

After lunch, we continue driving through villages, following Marsyangdi River with the high Himalayas coming closer into view as you get nearer to Pokhara. We will reach Pokhara at the late afternoon and stay overnight
at Hotel Heaven o' Ganga.

Day 4
Pokhara - Ghandruk | approx. 6.4km/ 6 hours

Today, after breakfast we will be transferred by road to Siwai (a village above Syauli) by the late morning. We drive following the sub-tropical Modi Khola river valley to Birethanti, a large village on the old Nepal-Tibet trading route. After formalities at the check post we continue our drive to Siwai and start our trek.

We commence with a short but steep climb to reach Kimche (1,630m) and take a
tea break. We then jump on our feet, we follow a well-defined path to Chane and on to Ghandruk, the largest village of the region (1,950m) where we stay overnight.

This picturesque Gurung village enjoys the backdrop of the snow-capped mountains and is home to many villagers who have served in the British Gurkha regiments. We find our guest house in the heart of the village and settle down for a good night’s rest.

Day 5
Ghandruk - Tadapani | approx. 6.4km/ 6 hours

Bidding goodbye to the terraced hillsides, we enter an enchanting forest of oak trees, bright with purple and pink rhododendrons, the national flower of Nepal.

We ascend through the forest and past small waterfalls, enjoying the birdsong and breath-taking views of the Himalayas, until we reach Tadapani (2,700m).

With spectacular peaks surrounding us, we settle down at our hotel and watch the sun set.

Day 6
Tadapani to Ghorepani | approx. 6.4km/ 6 hours

Waking early, we jump on the opportunity to see the sun rise over the Himalayas.

This lights us up for another spectacular morning of trekking through rhododendron forest, following an undulating route, until we come to Banthanti for an early lunch.

Refreshed, we jump back onto our feet and ascend higher through the forest, crossing several small streams and at last reach the open ridges at Deurali (2,987m).

We’re pretty high up on the planet now and nature rewards us for our hard work trekking with phenomenal mountain panoramas all the way to our hotel in Ghorepani (2,780m).

Day 7
Ghorepani - Poon Hill (3,210m) - Tirkedunga | approx. 12.9km/ 8 hours

We rise and shine early again today and trek to the top of Poon Hill (3,210m), the highest point of our challenge and one of Nepal’s best viewpoints. We arrive by torchlight in time to catch a heavenly sunrise over the surrounding peaks.

If it’s a clear day, we’ll see the 8,167m Dhaulagiri in the distance, dominating the spectacular skyline of the western mountains.

We trek back down to enjoy a well-deserved breakfast at Ghorepani, before continuing our descent through more fabulous forests to the village of Ulleri.

After lunch, our descent steepens and brings us to a small suspension bridge over the Bhurung Khola River. We end our day at our guest house in the village of Tirkedunga (1,550m).

Day 8
Tirkedunga - Pokhara | approx. 6.4km/ 4 hours

We’ve made it to our last day of trekking! Today, we follow the Bhurungdi River all the way to our finish line at Birethanti Village. Celebrating with an early lunch, we meet our coach and rest our legs on a transfer back to our hotel in Pokhara.

The afternoon is free for you to spend as we wish in this fascinating town. It’s a fab chance to browse the shops for some souvenirs or amble to the lake for a boat ride!

We meet back up in the evening and dine out together at a Nepali restaurant.

Day 9
Pokhara – Kathmandu

After breakfast at the hotel, we transfer back to Kathmandu (approx. 7 hours).

We now have the evening free to explore Kathmandu, the perfect calm after a mighty challenge. Tonight, we celebrate our achievement with our final dinner together, before getting some rest for our flight home tomorrow.

Day 10
Kathmandu – London

We're homeward-bound today. After breakfast at the hotel, we transfer to the airport in Kathmandu and catch our flight back to the UK.

Touching down in London, we part ways and you make your own way home from the airport.

Book my place

How fit do I have to be?

Hike the Himalayas in Nepal is not designed for Olympic athletes. We've designed it for people looking for an amazing goal to train and get fit for. A number of the people who will take part in this trek will have a low level of fitness when they sign up.

This challenge is the perfect motivation to get fit, while exploring one of the world's most beautiful places and making a big impact for the charity of your choice.

We strongly recommend you train for the trek and we'll send you a fantastic training plan once you sign up. This training plan builds up as time goes on, so you'll be ready and raring to go by the time we jet to Nepal!

I’m worried about signing up on my own…

Please don't be! The majority of people will sign up on their own and our Dream Challenges are renowned for the amazing camaraderie and lifelong friendships made as our groups take on these incredible feats together.

Once you've signed up for the challenge, we'll send you a link to a private Facebook group for everyone registered for Hike the Himalayas in Nepal.

Please feel free to use this space to swap questions, advice and updates with your fellow trekkers on your training and fundraising.

You may also want to reach out to the other participants in this group to see if there's anyone in your local area you can meet up to train and fundraise with.

Is there a minimum/maximum age limit?

Absolutely not! One of the amazing things about the challenge is that people of all ages will come together to do something very special.

Everyone who is at least 18 years old by the challenge date is more than welcome to join this awesome challenge.

If you would like someone under the age of 18 to join you on the challenge please contact us to discuss (01590 646410 or bookings@dream-challenges.com)

What's included?

Your registration fee of £349 per person is used to administer the challenge, pay deposits with local suppliers and secure your seats with the airline.

Your challenge costs of £1,850 (ie. 50% of the fundraising target if you choose the sponsorship option) cover:

Your international flights (not including airport taxes and the fuel surcharge, capped at £475)
Your internal flights to and from Pokhara.
Meals throughout the challenge (except for your lunch on your free day on Day 10).
Accommodation*.
All transfers in Nepal.
Luggage transportation on every day of the challenge.
Entry fees where applicable.
A team of awesome, outdoor remote first aid trained challenge guides and Dream Challenges staff.
Full support from the Dream Challenges office in the lead-up to and during your challenge.
Medical support, including a UK doctor with expedition medicine training, who will accompany us throughout the challenge.
Your Hike the Himalayas in Nepal medal.

What other costs will I pay?

In addition to paying your registration fee of £349 and either self funding your challenge costs or raising the minimum sponsorship, you will need to budget for:

Airport taxes and the fuel surcharge (capped at £475)
Personal travel insurance
Gratuities
Personal expenses
Your visa for Nepal (You will need to arrange this yourself. We'll send you details of this in the lead up to the challenge.)
Optional excursions/extensions
You may also choose to pay £200 for a single supplement at our accommodation

Do I need special equipment?

You will of course need a pair of walking boots.

We will supply you with a comprehensive list of everything you will need to take on the event well before your departure date.

What will the group size be?

There are likely to be 30 to 35 participants in our group.

Where will we sleep overnight?

We will stay in comfortable hotels, throughout this challenge except for on Days 3, 4 and 7, on which we'll be sleeping in comfortable mountain guest houses with amazing vistas.

*We organise our accommodation on a twin-sharing basis, which is included in the challenge cost.

However, if you would rather pay for a single supplement (£200 per person, NOT included in your challenge cost) and have a room/tent to yourself, please get in touch and we can arrange this for you.

Can I pay for a single supplement?

Certainly. Our accommodation is included in your challenge costs on a twin-sharing basis.

However if you would prefer to have a room/tent to yourself and pay for a single supplement, we'll be happy to arrange this for you at an additional cost of £200.

If you would like a single supplement, please get in touch by emailing us at bookings@dream-challenges.com or call us on 01590 646410 (Monday - Friday, 9am - 5pm).

Can I extend my stay at the end of the challenge?

Yes of course! If you wish to extend your stay in Nepal, simply get in touch and we can find flight options for you.

Please let us know if you decide to do this at least 17 weeks before our departure date by emailing us at bookings@dream-challenges.com.

Please note, it is not possible for you to come out of our internal flights to and from Pokhara.

What about insurance and visas?

Travel Insurance
You will need to take out your own personal travel insurance upon registering for this challenge, covering health, accident, loss, and repatriation. We advise that you arrange personal travel insurance as soon as you can after you register to ensure you have coverage for your booking as well as the challenge itself.

Dream Challenges has a provider detailed in your Welcome Pack, which you will receive shortly after booking your challenge, which provides appropriate cover for this type of activity and also covers you for cancellation due to medically-diagnosed COVID-19. You can also call us for details on 01590 646410 during our office hours (9am- 5pm, Monday - Friday).

You can, however, take out your own insurance providing it covers you for a charity trek in Nepal.

Please ask the insurer about the nature of the cover. It is your responsibility to ensure you have adequate coverage for your challenge.

Visa
It is your responsibility to obtain a visa for Nepal if you need one. Ensure that you apply and obtain your visa in plenty of time. Further information can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/nepal

How will you support me?

The Dream Challenges team are here to help you achieve your challenge and will support you all the way. We are on hand from the minute you sign up to answer any questions that you may have about your training or the challenge itself.

Once you have registered, we will send you a realistic training programme to help you get fit for the trek. The programme builds up gradually as the challenge gets closer.

We also have a fantastic group of outdoor remote first aid trained challenge guides, porters and at least one UK doctor with expedition medicine training accompanying us throughout the challenge.

Can you offer travel vaccination advice?

As we're not medically trained, we're afraid we can't offer you advice on this. We recommend you contact your GP or your local travel clinic, who will have the latest travel health advice.

We also recommend you visit the NHS Fit for Travel website here, to keep up to date with current travel health news and advice on staying healthy abroad.

NHS Fit for Travel website: https://www.fitfortravel.nhs.uk/home

Hike the Himalayas in Nepal

When can I go?

What does it cost?

Hike the Himalayas in Nepal